Heckler
The MP5, designed by Heckler und Koch, is one of the most famous modern submachine guns. Featured in many movies and computer games, for many people it's a staple of what is SMG. This distinction is entirely deserved - MP5 is known as a reliable and flexible weapon throughout the world. History The MP5 was first conceived in 1964 as the MP54 (a.k.a. HK54). The prototype was first released in 1965. It was adopted by the Deutsche Polizei (German police) as the MP5. The original MP5 actually has barely any resemblance to the most known look of the MP5A2. The MP5 is probably the most popular SMG in the world, now that the Uzi is no longer in production. While a great deal of popularity comes from MP5 merits, skillful advertising must be also accounted for. Design Technically, MP5 is a scaled down version of the G3 rifle, chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. It retains basic principles of the G3 action, and fires from a closed bolt. This presents a bit of a problem with barrel overheating during sustained fire, but the MP5 was never designed as fire support weapon in the first place. All MP5 SMGs are fitted with fire control/safety. There are two main versions of control - three-positional, which has safe, single shot and full auto positions, and four-positional, which has safe, single shot, burst and full auto positions. Burst mode fires two or three rounds at a single trigger pull (2 or 3 - depends on the exact model). MP5 uses 9x19 mm Parabellum ammunition, as a rule, but there are specialized versions chambered in more powerful .40S&W (10x22 mm) and 10 mm Auto (10x25 mm). These versions can be spotted by different, straight magazines. There are 30 round and 15 round proprietary magazines for each type of ammunition. There is also a version of the MP5 that uses an integrated suppressor, named MP5SD. "SD" is the abbreviation of "Schalldämpfer" (silencer). It has an integral silencer, and vented barrel, which allows to use normal ammunition at subsonic speeds. However, standard versions of MP5 can be outfitted with suppressor just as well. MP5 can be fitted with fixed (MP5A2; MP5SD2) or collapsible (MP5A3; MP5SD3) stocks. To sum it all up, MP5 is a reliable efficient weapon, available in a large number of modifications and able to take many accessories, including such exotic things as suitcase for concealed carry/shooting. It is widely spread around the world, and just as widely acclaimed. But because the MP5 fires the 9 x 19 mm round, which is only a pistol round, it makes it hard/impossible to take down a target wearing body armor. So the GSG-9 is planning to replace to MP5 with the new HK MP7A1, which fires the 4.6mm round that can penetrate body armor. Users * Argentina * Australia: Royal Australian Air Force Airfield Defence Guards Special Operations Command and all Police Tactical Groups. * Austria: EKO Cobra. * Bahrain * Bangladesh: Army, Special Forces, Rapid Action Battalion, and Bangladesh Navy Special Warfare Diving And Salvage. * Belgium * Brazil: Special Police Operations Battalion and National Force of Public Safety * Bulgaria: 160 imported in 2009. * Cameroon * Canada: Canadian Forces Naval Boarding Party, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. * Chile * China: Used by Chongqing SWAT (NR-08, Chinese copy of MP5) and Beijing SWAT (original HK made models). * Costa Rica: UEA (Unidad Especial de Apoyo) Special Police Unit * Croatia: Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit * Czech Republic: URNA counter-terrorist group and other units of the armed forces (MP5A5, MP5SD6, MP5K-PDW). * Democratic Republic of Congo * Denmark * El Salvador * Estonia:Estonian Police. * Finland: Finnish Defence Forces under designation 9.00 konepistooli 2000. * France: GIGN and certain specialized units within the French Army. * Georgia: MP5K and MP5SD. * Germany: Bundespolizei (Federal Police), Landespolizei (State Police), German Army, Feldjäger (Military Police), GSG 9 special operations unit and German Navy. * Ghana * Greece: Manufactured locally by Hellenic Defence Systems (EAS: Ellinika Amyntika Systimata). Used by the EKAM counter-terrorist group. * Honduras * Hong Kong: Hong Kong Police Force (used by Airport Security Unit Counter Terrorism Response Unit, Special Duties Unit and other units with various HK original made variants). * Iceland:Víkingasveitin, Icelandic National Police. * India: Indian Army, MARCOS, National Security Guards, and Maharashtra State Force One. Also used by the Special Protection Group until 2008, when it was replaced with the FN P90 and FN F2000. * Indonesia: Komando Pasukan Katak (Kopaska) tactical diver group and Komando Pasukan Khusus (Kopassus) special forces group. * Iran: Produced under license. * Iraq * Ireland: Irish Army Rangers. * Italy: Used by the Carabinieri. * Jamaica: Jamaica Constabulary Force. * Japan: Special Boarding Unit(SBU)of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces,Special Assault Team(SAT), Special Investigation Team(SIT), Martial Arts Attack Team(MAAT) of Japanese Police. * Jordan * Kenya: Kenya Police. * Republic of Korea: Republic of Korea Naval Special Warfare Brigade uses MP5A5 and MP5SD6. * Lithuania: Lithuanian Armed Forces. * Luxembourg: Unité Spéciale de la Police intervention unit of the Grand Ducal Police. * Malaysia: Malaysian Armed Forces, Royal Malaysia Police, Royal Malaysian Customs and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (A2 and A3 versions). Also used by various counter-terrrorism units Grup Gerak Khas, PASKAL and PASKAU, as well as the Pasukan Gerakan Khas. * Malta * Mauritius * Mexico: Manufactured under license. * Netherlands: Dutch Royal and Diplomatic security (DKDB) and Dutch SWAT team (arrestatieteam). * New Zealand: New Zealand Special Air Service and New Zealand Police Special Tactics Group * Niger * Nigeria * Norway: Norwegian Armed Forces, to be replaced by the MP7. Norwegian Police Service * Pakistan: Pakistan Army, built by Pakistan Ordnance Factories. * Philippines: Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine National Police Special Action Force and other police and SWAT units. * Poland: GROM special forces unit., FORMOZA special force unit, Police, Border Guard, CBA, ABW, Financial Police, Military Police Special Unit from Warsaw * Portugal: Grupo de Operações Especiais (GOE). * Qatar * Romania: Land Forces Special Operations battalions. * Saudi Arabia * Serbia * Singapore: Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation and Singapore Police Force (which includes the paramilitary units of Gurkha Contingent, Police Coast Guard, Police Special Operations Command and Special Tactics and Rescue Team (STAR)). * Slovakia: Various police forces. * Slovenia: Slovenian Armed Forces and Slovenian Police * South Africa: Special Task Force. * Spain: Grupo Especial de Operaciones (GEO). * Sri Lanka * Sudan: Manufactured by Military Industry Corporation as the Tihraga. * Sweden: Swedish Police Service. * Taiwan * Thailand * Turkey: Used by various services. Manufactured by MKEK. * United Arab Emirates * United Kingdom: Produced under license. Used by the Special Air Service, Police Service of Northern Ireland, CO19 and most Authorised Firearms Officers. * United States: Special Operations Forces, Secret Service, and FBI Hostage Rescue Team (10mm version). Also used by various police SWAT units at federal, state, and local levels. * Uruguay * Vatican City: Used by the Swiss Guard. * Zambia Versions MP5K Main:H&K MP5K The MP5K is the PDW version of the the MP5. It uses a stockless body, for diplomatic protection. Made at the request of the South American H&K sales rep for VIP protection. Variants list * HK54: The original model that was produced in the mid 1960s. It later became known as the MP5A1, a very slightly modified version. No buttstock (endplate/receiver cap in place of buttstock), "Navy"/"SEF" trigger group. According to H&K protocols, the 5 denotes the model of the chamber and the 4 denotes the model of the weapon. * MP5A2: Fixed buttstock, "SEF" trigger group. * MP5SFA2: Fixed buttstock, single-fire (SF) trigger group. * MP5A3: Retractable buttstock,"SEF" trigger group. * MP5SFA3: Retractable buttstock, single-fire (SF) trigger group. * MP5A4: Fixed buttstock, 3-round burst trigger group. * MP5A5: Retractable buttstock, 3-round burst trigger group. * MP5-N: Model developed specifically for the U.S. Navy. Ambidextrous "Navy" trigger group, 3-lug/threaded barrel for attaching a sound suppressor; retractable stock. * MP5F: Model developed specifically for the French military. Rubber-padded retractable stock, ambidextrous sling loops/bolts and internal modifications to handle high-pressure ammunition. * MP5K: Short (Kurz) version, "SEF" trigger group. ** MP5KA1: MP5K with smooth upper surface and small iron sights; "SEF" trigger group. ** MP5KA4: MP5K with 3-round burst trigger group. ** MP5KA5: MP5KA1 with 3-round burst trigger group. ** MP5K-N: MP5K with "Navy" trigger group and 3-lug/threaded barrel for mounting suppressors or other muzzle attachments. ** MP5K-PDW: Personal Defense Weapon; an MP5K-N with added folding stock and 3-lug/threaded barrel for mounting of suppressors; "Navy" or 3-round burst trigger group. Introduced in 1991. * MP5SD1: No buttstock (endplate/receiver cap in place of buttstock), "SEF" trigger group, integrated suppressor (Schalldämpfer) * MP5SD2: Fixed buttstock, "SEF" trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD3: Retractable buttstock, "SEF" trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD4: No buttstock (endplate/receiver cap in place of buttstock), 3-round burst trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD5: Fixed buttstock, 3-round burst trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD6: Retractable buttstock, 3-round burst trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD-N1: Retractable buttstock, "Navy" trigger group, KAC stainless steel suppressor. * MP5SD-N2: Fixed buttstock, "Navy" trigger group, KAC stainless steel suppressor. * MP5/10: Chambered in 10mm Auto, available in various stock/trigger group configurations. It was produced from 1992 to 2000. * MP5/40: Chambered in .40 S&W, available in various stock/trigger group configurations. It was produced from 1992 to 2000. * HK94: American import model of the MP5 with a 16 in barrel and special safe/semi-automatic trigger group, designed for civilian use. It was made from 1983 to 1989, in three different configurations. Some of these were converted to fire in fully automatic by movie armorers and used to stand in for the MP5 in various movies during the 1980s and 1990s, due to most of the real MP5s being imported into the United States at the time being earmarked for military and law enforcement sales. These 'fake' MP5s can often be identified by the lack of the paddle-style magazine release between the magazine well and trigger guard as well as having smooth barrels with no lugs or threading. * SP89: Sport Pistole M1989. Semi-automatic only version of the MP5K designed for civilian use. It had a modified foregrip redesigned into a traditional handguard to make it compliant with the Semi-Auto Weapons Ban of 1989. It was made from 1989 to 1994. As with the HK94 mentioned above, some of these weapons were also used to stand in for their select-fire counterparts in films and television.http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heckler_%26_Koch_MP5&section=11#Variants_list Reference * Sources *Modern Warfare, Published by Mark Dartford, Marshall Cavendish (London) 1985 *Modern Firearms - Heckler und Koch MP-5 (Germany) *Wikipedia: Heckler & Koch MP5 See Also *IMBEL MD2A1 Category:Submachine gun